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You have heard it before however I will say it again. If you want to recruit and retain the best employees then your Office space design needs to focus on employee engagement. Employees want to feel like they are valued team members and they want to be productive and satisfied, however many work environments and company cultures do not support this. There are some technology hubs where a link exists between Austin office space design and company growth.

Technology, worker mindsets, and demographics are changing how we work and business owners and executives need to think about this when planning on improving an existing or new office space.

Companies need to be more sensitive to the personal needs of their employees. For example spending more time at home with the family is very important. Work from home options even if it’s just for one day a week or allowing them to come in later so they can wait to traffic to die down. It’s crazy to think that many of your employees spend over an hour each way driving to and from work. By minimizing their drive time they get to spend more time with the family.

Office spaces need to have a balance of collaborative space, amenities, and quite spaces for workers to concentrate. It’s not enough to just copy what other companies are doing. A company’s culture needs to identify with and support adaptability and flexibility. It’s also important for the culture of the company to create a sense of community and common purpose. 

Find Out How Employees Use The Office Space

It’s important to know how your employees use space and what tools are available to support them. Rather than guess it’s ideal to ASK them to be involved in the vision of the workplace of the future. The top down approach is long gone and won’t work with the workforce of today and tomorrow.

Really get to know how people work, the tools they use, when they are at their desks, who’s using the conference rooms and when, and where there is a disconnect between how the space is designed and how the staff is actually using the space.

Known Fact:  You think your employees sit in their assigned desk all day however most of the time they are not sitting in their desks at all. Technology allows them to work from anywhere so they may be in a conference room, break area, or other area in the office collaborating with others on a project.

The New Workspace

A workspace is no longer just a desk you sit in. Courtyards, cafeterias, outdoor patios, fitness centers, mini kitchens, etc are all being re-envisioned as workspaces. Meetings can be held anywhere and amenities are considered extensions of the work environment.

There is still a place for collaborative open office spaces where people can connect, however there also needs to be places for employees to do individual focused work or just to simply be alone to reflect and be inspired.

The Cost of Future Office Space Design

Future office space design is expensive and it can be hard to justify the cost because it’s hard to put a price tag on attracting and retaining employees. It’s easy to determine the cost to recruit, hire, and train an employees. However calculating how much that expensive office build-out will improve productivity and morale is difficult.  

The consensus is however that there is a link between office space design and company growth. The greatest ROI for performance in the workplace is to focus on PEOPLE. When you invest money into your office space design you are sending a message to the employees that you care about them and their well-being.

The post The Future of Office Space Design Focuses on Employee Engagement appeared first on Austin Tenant Advisors.